President Barack Obama granted clemency to 46 non-violent drug offenders who were imprisoned under the sentencing guidelines put in place in the late 1980s, according to the White House. Two of those offenders were from Louisiana.

Brian Nickles, of New Orleans, was serving a 240-month sentence for a April 2004 conviction of distributing more than 50 grams of cocaine. His prison sentence was commuted to expire on Nov. 10.

James Nathan Walton, of Thibodaux, was also sentenced to 240 months on a September 2004 conviction of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. His sentence was also commuted to expire on Nov. 10.

The president has now issued nearly 90 commutations, most of them to non-violent offenders sentenced for drug crimes under outdated sentencing rules. A commutation leaves the conviction in place, but ends the punishment. Several of those granted clemency Monday had been sentenced to life in prison.

Obama this week is devoting considerable attention to the criminal justice system. He'll lay out ideas for how to improve the fairness of the system during a speech on Tuesday. And on Thursday he'll become the first siting president to visit a federal prison.